I have an ongoing discussion with one of my co-workers regarding Nikka Costa. I love Nikka. I think she completely kicks ass, I think she's gorgeous, you know I have a particular weakness for women who can sing -- even more so if they can sing and play guitar (Sheryl Crow, I'm looking your way too) and I was thoroughly impressed with her when I saw her in concert last winter both in her performance and in the personality that she emanated from the stage. My co-worker, who was there when Nikka played our annual convention last year, said that Nikka is kind of dumb and trashy.

Then, this morning I see this interview with her (link courtesy of another guy in L.A. who works in the same kind of job as I do at a rival magazine who's also named Keith, imagine the coincidence of that), and I was about to triumphantly send the interview to my co-worker and say, "Look, she's coherent and intelligent and not at all trashy in this article!" Then I remembered that on a daily basis, part of both our jobs is to clean up people's quotes and writing to make them come off sounding intelligent and coherent and not at all trashy (unless that's what they want to sound like).

I'm starting to realize that in this town, finding out the reality behind the perception is a very valuable commodity. Get dirt on someone, and you gain power.

Speaking of dirt, what the hell is that brown stuff on his nose? Looks like Halloween came a bit late this year...